If it is true that fortune favors the bold, it would not be surprising if the Catholics of Bangladesh won their case: because in a country where Catholicism represents only about 0.3% of the 160 million inhabitants – or almost nothing – asking that Easter Sunday be declared a public holiday requires a good dose of audacity that borders on nerve.
However, this is what the president of the country’s Conference of Bishops has just done, by sending – in the name of all Christian denominations – a letter to Muhammad Yunus, the man who currently presides over the provisional government which is trying to stabilize a Bangladesh plunged into uncertainty since the overthrow of the “Iron Begum”, Seikh Hasina, in August 2024.
“The dayu we celebrate the triumph of Our Lord Jesus Christ over sin and death, is one of the most significant celebrations in Christianity »explains Mgr Bejoy N. D’Cruze in his letter relayed by the information agency of the pontifical missions Fides.
The prelate deplores that “this day of capital importance (is) not considered a public holiday in the country, despite repeated requests addressed to previous governments. As a result, many Catholics cannot attend religious services and Holy Mass, thereby disobeying their religious obligations without being able to satisfy their spiritual thirst. »
Also, the leader of the Church of Bangladesh asks the authorities “to have the opportunity, like the other religions of our country, to celebrate this significant and solemn anniversary.
“Although the Christian population is not large, we are an integral part of this country and make a significant contribution to development initiatives through our community services, particularly in the areas of education, medical care, the fight against poverty and other development programs. »
For the Catholic Church, the alignment of the planets seems favorable to such progress, because on the one hand, the government appointed ad interim – and financed in part by Western aid conditioned on the pacification of the country – attempts to give the image of a State protecting minorities living within an omnipresent Islam.
On the other hand, the Church exerts an influence in the country inversely proportional to the number of faithful it claims, making a notable contribution in the areas of health, education, and support for the most deprived.
“We appreciate your government’s reform initiatives »concludes Mgr Bejoy D’Cruze who officially asks the government “to consider declaring Easter Sunday a public holiday so that the community chrÉtienne can enjoy his important rituals and celebrate them ». Now the ball is in Muhammad Yunus’s court.
